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Will HessWill Hess
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14 ülke gezdi Okumaya devam et Wisconsin, United States
  • GezginFrench Polynesia
    Gün 5

    🛵 Scooter Day 🛵

    25 Temmuz 2022, Fransız Polinezyası ⋅ 🌧 77 °F

    We took our time getting out of bed this morning (guess who was feeling a bit lazy). After having some instant coffee and a light breakfast of misc stuff we had picked up from the grocery store yesterday, we decided to once again ignore the very rainy weather forecast and see if we could rent a scooter to tour some other parts of the island. Unfortunately, the line at the Eurocar around the corner was 6 families deep, and didn't bode well for availability. We didn't want to wait around, so we abandoned the line and instead went down to the beach for a bit.

    The surf was good, and we body surfed for a little while until it started to die down. Emboldened, we grabbed the paddles for a 2-seat kayak and struck out into the ocean. We paddled around for about 10m before the waves picked up again, and we started to get sucked out to sea. We both started questioning our life choices as we battled our way back to shore with moderate effort. Riding a respectable wave to shore, we slid back on to the beach while oozing a sort of "that was all according to plan" aura. While returning the paddles, the hotel staff was less than thrilled that we helped ourselves to the kayak, as they were not renting them out due to the rough conditions (maybe don't leave all the gear laying around!)

    It was time to seek our next thrill, so we went back to the Eurocar and found they did indeed have one small scooter remaining! We snagged it, Laura hopped on the back, and we zipped off. I'd describe our initial acceleration much like our kayak landing. Uncertain, a little wobbly, but surprisingly without catastrophe.

    Since we had only had a light breakfast (and not at all because we couldn't find the damn trailhead) we decided to skip hiking and instead go see some scenic lookouts and points of attraction dotted across the island. The first stop was the sacred blue eyes eels, found in a culvert alongside the road. They. Were. MASSIVE, and not at all like the moray eel I saw yesterday sticking his head out of some coral. Super cool, if somewhat unsettling.

    Next stop was the Huahine pearl farm, a quick motor boat ride east onto a floating hut. They sold black pearls and pottery, but the highlight was the overview of how they encourage the oysters to make the pearls (we were the only ones who spoke English instead of French, so we got a private explanation).

    Finally, we wound our way up the mountain road to overlook the island, and then put the scooter's brakes to the test as we descended the long 30-40° grade road back towards town to secure some simple lunch again from the grocery store.

    We waited until 2pm for the nearby micro distillery to open, where we sampled some phenomenal rums and liqueurs. Laura's favorite was the coconut-vanilla, mine the vanilla or the chestnut. We purchased two bottles as our first souvenirs of the trip.

    Satisfied we had experienced some of the high points Huahine had to offer us, we returned the scooter and spend the afternoon with a nap and some more time reading/swimming at the beach before dinner.

    We ate again at the resort restaurant. Laura tried the coconut-marinated fish, and I had chicken stuffed with chorizo and prawns... Plus some more mirabelle.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • GezginFrench Polynesia
    Gün 4

    A triathalon of sorts

    24 Temmuz 2022, Fransız Polinezyası ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    While this resort does have a few roosters, they did not seem determined to assert their dominance throughout the night, and we both slept well. We enjoyed a buffet style breakfast, but honestly I would have paid the full fare simply for the two cups of strong coffee. It rained for just a minute, which was enough to produce a rainbow that we took as a good omen for the day to come. The weather forecast called for rain all day, but we decided not to believe it and booked a bicycle rental to see what this island had to offer. I raked a razor over my face for about 20m in hopes that it would allow a more secure snorkel mask fit and it was time to head out.

    The first stop was the grocery store to stock up on some water, pack a lunch, and secure a bottle of wine for later. We dropped off the wine in the room minibar and headed out around the island.

    Our first stop was Maeva ("Welcome") Marea Complex, housing the Fare Poree ("Oval House"), a reconstruction of a traditional Tahitian meeting house, now a small museum on the lake. We read the history of the island and its people, and checked out the artifacts before backtracking a little bit to reach the Matairea Hill hike trailhead.

    It was an easy hike, though it branched off regularly enough to have us doubting our choices as to whether or not we were going the correct way. along the way we encountered our first Marea (temples) that had been overtaken by a massive tree. Either by our magnificent wayfinding or sheer dumb luck, we made all the correct choices and popped out at another Marea with a great view of the island. Satisfied, we wound our way back to the main road and continued biking to the Jardin de Corail.

    We stashed our bikes and donned our snorkeling gear. By this point we were both sweaty and ready for a swim, and it didn't disappoint. My baby's-bottom-smooth face did in fact prevent water from flooding my mask, so we both got to enjoy the coral and many aquatic creatures. There was a strong tide at points, but we exercised appropriate care and had a blast snorkeling for a while.

    Feeling refreshed, we threw our towel down and snarfed some prosciutto and toast along with some fruit (and plenty more water). Refueled, we biked along the outer part of the island back to the hotel and beyond to see some sailboats in another bay before calling it and enjoying some downtime and a glass or two of wine. It was a smart call, as the skies opened up just a little while later.

    We prepared for dinner, and more importantly, the 10m walk to dinner. Laura donned the rain jacket, and we made use of the bungalow's umbrella, but still arrived somewhat damp due to the ongoing monsoon. We both had tuna tartar and some great swordfish (Laura's again with coconut, mine with green pepper sauce), before making the journey back -- somehow it was raining even harder. We had to dodge a few crabs on the walk back (no joke), but all in all counted it another great day.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • GezginFrench Polynesia
    Gün 3

    Low key Huahine Arrival

    23 Temmuz 2022, Fransız Polinezyası ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    In Laura's research, she identified that some of the other islands would resonate with us more than Tahiti, so we decided we'd only really have it be a stopover -- we used yesterday to adjust our sleep schedule, enjoy a hike and a good dinner, and then prepared to head off to the next island.

    We woke up today, had another light breakfast, and made use of the hotel gym (only upper body, our legs are still feeling it from the hike) before it was time for another harrowing drive to the airport. Laura's stick-driving ability paid off, as the island seemed determined to throw scooters, fast-merging busses, and pedestrians directly into our path while we tried to navigate the complicated sharp turns and hills to return the rental car. There were no incidents, but some few expletives. I focused on exuding a nonplussed demeanor while trying to divine the actual route from the combination of what Google maps suggested versus the reality of actual road layout (all the while recalling our wrong-way debacle from last night).

    After a small struggle returning the rental car, we headed through security and poked at our phones while we waited for our plane to arrive and board.

    It was a short, 40-minute flight on the propeller plane with some pretty cool views, just enough time to sip the complementary ananas juice, and we landed in Huahine. The resort had a van waiting, and whisked us off to our garden bungalow. We went across the street to 'Izzy's' for a hamburger and some beers with some locals for a quick bite of lunch.

    I was hot as hell, so we cranked the A/C and unpacked. While I took a short nap, Laura went on a scouting mission to get the lay of the resort and find the beach. When I woke up, we put our suits and hit the water. My facial hair thwarted my attempts at snorkeling, but Laura went at it with gusto and reported back all the funny fishies she saw swimming in the super clear and warm water. We spent a fair amount of time lounging on the beach and swimming around until the sun started to set.

    Back to the bungalow to read on the patio, shower, and then head to the resort restaurant for some dinner. We both had glasses of rosé and the lagoon fish (hers with coconut, mine sans -- anaphylactic shock on a remote island is probably a poor life decision). The highlight of the dinner was the digestif -- a snifter of 'Mirabelle' -- a strong French plum brandy that was delightful and made us think fondly of our best golden doggy.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • GezginFrench Polynesia
    Gün 2

    Sleeping and Hiking

    22 Temmuz 2022, Fransız Polinezyası ⋅ 🌙 77 °F

    After 26 hours of driving, flying, and general travel nonsense, we made it to Tahiti. Quite a long journey, but even I managed to sleep a little bit at LAX and on the flight across the ocean. It was a somewhat stressful 20m drive to the Hotel near Māhina, and after check-in we crashed pretty hard. We had a few blissful hours of sleep, before... Roosters? Many, many roosters -- all very excited to announce that the sun was rising (though they got a little ahead of themselves).

    We had an omelette, some pastries, and coffee to shake off the sleep and began to plan the day. Since the morning looked clear of rain, we planned a hike to stretch the legs after being confined with minimal leg room for a significant part of the prior day. We got the necessary permit from a local government office and drove out to Fautaua Valley to begin the trek. After 2 easy miles, we reached the fork and had to choose the challenging, or very challenging trail. Up for the challenge, we elected for the latter.

    The hike was challenging, but not dangerous. We didn't trust the estimated times (we were moving much faster), and we made good progress switch backing up the hill. The view waterfall popped out unexpectedly, and evoked matching "wow"s from us. We continued on to reach the end of the trail, and then started the descent. As we did, the skies opened up, and after a few minutes we ceased all attempts to keep any parts dry and accepted that we were soaked. Still, it was a warm walk through the lush tropic landscape, and just meant we needed to be a little more sure of our steps as we navigated the rocky/root-y trail. It was just over 3 hours of hiking, and our glutes/knees were ready to be done.

    Once we made it back to the car, we drove back into town to secure some lunch at the market. Simple sandwiches, a smoothie (Laura), and a beer (moi). We were ready for a nap.

    Nap time commenced, and we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in the ocean and lounging on the black sand beach.

    A quick drink at the hotel restaurant (they were having an electronic rave, a little dissonance there given the venue), and off to dinner at a little place called 'Kozy'.

    My navigation skills fell short as we missed our exit and had to backtrack. While searching for parking, we ended up on a particularly strange road where Laura was convinced that we were on the wrong side, and initiated a correction to vault over the median (nevermind the oncoming truck in the lane that she merged us over into). I did my best to be a calm, if terrified, passenger. Eventually we managed to park, and went into the super cute restaurant. Laura had the fish, I had the boeuf.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • GezginPuerto Vallarta
    Gün 4

    Dolphins, Tacos, and Beach Time

    30 Aralık 2019, Meksika ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Our last day in Puerto Vallarta, and the weather was everything we had hoped for when planning the trip. We split up for the morning -- Caty and Laura went to swim with dolphins, while I slept in before exercising and going in to town to see if I could find the best authentic tacos.

    Caty said the dolphin adventure was 'the best experience in her life', so we'll count that as a win. Laura loved it too, both the mama and baby dolphin were super smart and super cute. We won't have any pictures for a little while, but we'll get some sent to us by the company.

    My mission was also a success. I did some research (wanting very much to not have a plane ride home dealing with food poisoning) on local street carts and settled on Tacos El Mareno. By the time the cab had made the 10 minute drive down the cobblestone road from the resort, it was the lunch rush. Tons of locals were milling around, which I took as a good sign. I summoned the remnants of high school Spanish to place my order, and then shortly thereafter tucked into freshly made carne asada tacos -- super cool to watch them make the tortilla in front of you. The hot sauce was no joke either. Yum.

    I had some time to kill before Laura and Caty's cab brought them back to meet up, and wandered into a craft brewery in the gay section of town. While not amazing, the beer was better than expected and my fellow patrons and bartender were pretty friendly.

    When Caty and Laura arrived, we headed down to the beach to enjoy some magnificent sunshine and surf. Caty loved getting pushed around by the waves. After ~45 minutes we had to drag Caty out of the water, lest she turn into a lobster. While walking towards a cab location, Laura let out a shriek -- I turned around and found her horizontal, nearly submerged in the water as the tide pulled her towards the sea. She had tripped on a towel, we think; it happened so fast she can't quite remember how she found herself in that situation. She was embarrassed, but laughing too hard to pull herself upright... I ran over and fished her out. We all got a good chuckle out of it, but Laura's phone paid the toll due to water damage :(

    We bundled up our wet belongings and went back up to the hotel to lay in the shade at the pool, aka Caty went swimming again.

    For our last dinner I found an authentic Mexican restaurant in town. Caty was grossed out that they served cricket tacos, and I may have threatened to get some for the table... We had some tasty margaritas, smoked fish tostadas, barbacoa, and duck carnitas. Heavenly. Caty was a big 'flan' of dessert #DadJokesAllVacationLong.

    That's the end of the family Mexico journey. Another early morning to catch a plane back to Madison -- we're ready to see our pup!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • GezginPuerto Vallarta
    1
    Gün 3

    Marietas Islands

    29 Aralık 2019, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Up at the crack of dawn again to ride town to Port to catch our boat to and around the Marietas islands. It was a relatively cool morning, with winds on the ocean making us glad we packed the hoody and jacket I packed.

    It was an hour long boat ride in, with several humpback whale sightings along the way! Once we arrived, we suited up in our wetsuits and dove in to go snorkeling along the rocks. Lots of pretty fishies down there! Caty got pretty cold, so we flippered our way back to the boat and dried off and ate some meager fare until the boat started off to the next location -- the beach!

    We were lucky enough the the clouds started to part as we arrived, and got to spend a good hour in relative warmth. Caty had a blast getting pushed around by the waves and having her suit and hair filled with sand and rocks (which now coat our shower floor).

    The sun was out in force on the ride back to Port, which was very welcome as I drank down several Pacificos, They taste pretty good after the second one, and put me to sleep on the taxi ride home -- I'm getting old...    Okumaya devam et

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  • GezginPuerto Vallarta
    Gün 2

    Lazy day

    28 Aralık 2019, Meksika ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    (Apparently I only took pictures of food and drinks today)

    Fairly lazy day today. We slept hard (me especially being the one who can't sleep on planes). All the same, Caty woke up around 6, and had to suffer until 7 for breakfast.

    After breakfast, Laura and I hit the gym for an hour while Caty read and watched movies, before spending some time at the pool.

    Once the sun came out in earnest, we took a taxi down to the Malecón (boardwalk) to walk around and get lunch. Caty was starving by this point (and the grumpies had settled in), but we powered on and meandered towards Layla's, which opened right as we arrived. It took a while before we had food in front of us, but it was well worth the wait. Laura had fish (which will be a constant on this trip), Caty had a hamburger, and I had spicy spicy chicken (spicy will also be a constant for me). I also had a surprisingly good Mexican craft beer -- very unexpected.

    After lunch we continued waking the boardwalk until Caty hit the point of exhaustion, and taxied back up the mountain to the hotel for a nap and more time at the pool/hot tub.

    For dinner we went back into town and had grilled meats and cocktails. We had shrimp wrapped in spiiiiicy peppers and a dish of Ceviche appetizers. Matching our experiences thus far, a meal out was a multi hour affair, so by the time we were done Caty was ready for bed, and we went straight back to the hotel, after a brief stop to pick up sunscreen for tomorrow.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • GezginPuerto Vallarta
    Gün 1

    Travel in to Puerto Vallarta

    27 Aralık 2019, Meksika ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Though we planned this trip as an escape from the cold, Christmas in Wisconsin has been reasonably mild. Still, the anticipation has definitely been building for us.

    Mira is staying with her grandparents (and their new doggy / fun playmate) while we're away. Tough to leave the pup behind, but we know she's super happy with Grandma and Grandpa.

    It was a bright and early start, with a 4am wake up. I might have been a little grumpy. We slammed some coffee, and started our journey. Both flights, first to Minneapolis and then to Puerto Vallarta, were uneventful for the most part. For the second leg, Laura and Caty had the luxury of sitting next to an unhappy baby (I was several rows back). Once we landed, we began a wait-a-thon to get through passport checks and customs, and finally to our shuttle to the hotel.

    The resort is pretty magnificent. Perched high above the town, it was a twisty ride up, but the view can't be beat. We hadn't eaten since breakfast, and Caty was beyond hungry. We decided to eat in at the fancy hotel restaurant, and it was a great decision. We watched the sun set, ate Ceviche, and drank wine (Chocolate ice cream for Caty). All is well.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • GezginNapa Valley
    Gün 4

    Market and The Restaurant at Meadowood

    26 Mart 2019, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    Last day here in the Valley, unfortunately. We decided to have a leisurely morning, minus the 7am class of HIIT that we had signed up for... One of us made it and the other hung out in the hotel room. I'll let you guess who did what.

    Once the hot springs were open (at least we think they were open -- no one stopped us, though we were the only ones there) we elected to burn an hour soaking it in and willing the aches in our muscles to subside.

    Eventually, we got around to getting dressed and drive back down to Yountville to visit the local Market, pick up a souvenir for Caty, have lunch, and generally walk around and absorb some sun rays.

    Stomachs full, we went back to the hotel room for our final holiday nap, before heading out to one last tasting that we had found last minute -- Reverie II.

    The lack of a tasting fee was a perk, and it ended up being another private, low-key deal. The host's pup, Pedals, knew the entire route and guided us from stop to stop on the property. She was the star of the event for sure. The wine was pretty good, but I can say definitively now that we are done tasting that Barnett's takes top marks, though I'm excluding Schaumburg's as I file Champagne into a different category

    We lounged around and watched some bad TV (Gray's Anatomy and Chopped) until it was time for the finale of the vacation -- dinner reservations at the Three-Michelin-Starred Restaurant at Meadowood. Laura had booked a multi-course meal seated at the cocktail bar, so we got to experience the best of food and drink. Our bartender was highly knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly, which made the experience all the more enjoyable. The signature libation I asked him to make, simply asking "for something with Mezcal" was pure ambrosia.

    Dinner included some equally amazing stuff -- incredible Guegères to start off, tiny cabbage wraps, sole, duck, and then an almond custard with a chocolate concoction that defies explanation for dessert. We finished in front of a fireplace in the lounge, stopping Port/Amaro until it was time to call the the evening, and the vacation, a wrap.

    So long, Napa Valley! It's been wonderful.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • GezginNapa Valley
    Gün 3

    More Hikes and Tastings

    25 Mart 2019, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri ⋅ 🌧 45 °F

    After a light breakfast and coffee, we started off the day with another hike in a nearby state park so we could see the redwoods. We walked for a solid 45 minutes before encountering a crossing point that was effectively washed out by the high waters. We spent a solid 5 minutes evaluating our chances of safely hopping across the rocks before writing it off as a potential vacation-ender. Still, the hike was still great, and we made friends with a little lizard that surprised Laura on the trail.

    Hungry again, we stopped in town on the way back to the hotel for a breakfast sandwich and coffee. We had an 11am fitness class that kicked our butt -- pretty sure I won't be able to lift my arms tomorrow.

    Suitably exercised, we showered and left for lunch at Lovina, a cute little place in Calistoga. Then, we headed to our tasting reservation at Barnett's Vineyard. This time it was Laura's turn to nap through a beautiful drive. We passed on renting Benz, which was too bad because the vineyard is 20 minutes up a winding climb that would have been pretty sweet. Still, it was fun even with the rental. We were a bit early, which worked in our benefit as it led to a pleasant surprise to find that we'd be enjoying a private tasting.

    It was low-key, and a good comparison point to the larger operations that we had seen thus far. It was a cloudy day, so we didn't quite get to experience the stunning vista of looking down into the valley, but the clouds did abate just enough for a short time to take it in and snap some photos. The icing on the cake was that the wines were pretty darn good, definitely the best non-bubbles that we've had on the trip. The guide was a perfect host, answering our many questions, and giving us recommendations of other stuff to try and see while we're in the valley.

    We took him up on one of the recommendations, stopping at Tank, which was a quirky prohibition-style operation running out of an old gas station. The wine was fairly good, but we didn't love the guy serving us / spinning his sales pitch.

    That was a good amount of wine, so it was nap time before dinner. We did elect to grab the cool car for the drive down to the restaurant in Yountville, where we destroyed some yummy pizzas. Quite a full day, with an early fitness class on the agenda in the morning, so we collapsed into bed and slept like rocks.    Okumaya devam et

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